TDR:Rebuild
by Rui Shimizu
Summary: Shutaro Muna didn't expect to spend his break rebuilding a city ruined during the despair wave of the previous generation, or attempting to maintain order among a new group of gifted students, but he already knows not to set too many expectations. (Not sure how serious this is, but definitely not a troll fic. Filled SYOC)
1. 1-1:Hospital

" _Shooter!"_

… _I am… Shooter…?_

" _Don't forget—here—pro_ _—_ _em—"_

"WAH!"

I'm not sure if I awakened before or after hearing the sound of my own hoarse scream. I wasn't left with much time to wonder why I screamed, either, since I found myself in a place that I could not recall ever visiting.

The white lights led an assault on my eyes the second I opened them, and the soft white fabric underneath me almost fed into the delusion that I might be in heaven. Which was odd, since I was so certain that I'd be going to hell.

It didn't take too long for me to realize that I was in a hospital of some sort. Maybe in school? Nah, couldn't be, since school hasn't started back yet. Besides, why would I be near enough to NHP that they'd take me to the school's clinic instead of an actual hospital? Although, in light of recent events, I would not put it past the staff.

A shuffling sound startled me out of my internal monologue. I turned to see a small, red-haired figure in the bed next to mine. He seems to be sleeping soundly, considering the situation. If memory serves, this is a similar situation to the beginning of the devastation that happened over 30 years ago at Hope's Peak Academy. Students awoke in various parts of the school and sought an exit, to little avail. However, I've only heard whispers, so I don't know the full details of their situation. I could just be paranoid.

I stepped out of the bed and surveyed this room. Outside the canopy curtains of my bed, I saw the light blue walls of the room. There wasn't much as far as wall decorations, but there was a television with a cracked screen, a large window, and another pair of beds behind another canopy curtain. I tried to find an intercom system, but the only one I noticed was basically unusable. I also noted the fact that there was a new black watch on my right wrist. It didn't turn on despite my best efforts, so I'm assuming it won't explode without me noticing.

The window helped me realize that this is probably not another one of those situations, but the damaged concrete and debris outside the hospital alluded to another possibility.

"Excuse me?"

Another interruption of my monologue presented itself in the light voice of the figure this time.

"Uh… Yes?"

"Where is… this?"

I sighed. "Sorry, but I only know as much as you do, kid. As far as I can tell, this is a hospital. Probably in a _really_ bad neighborhood." I muttered the last sentence. Thankfully, he (she?) didn't ask me to repeat that. It's a petty thing to be annoyed by, but I really don't like repeating myself.

The redhead stepped out of their own bed, dressed in a white button-down shirt, khaki brown pants, and suspenders in a matching color. If this was a uniform, I couldn't guess which school it belonged to. Unexpectedly, the kid stepped toward me and extended their left hand.

"I'm Mitsuru Kokonoe." This was said with a proud smile. I noticed the watch on their left wrist was identical to the one on my wrist.

"… I'm…"

 _Shutaro Muna._

I shook my head lightly and took their hand in mine. "I'm Shutaro Muna," I continued. That was kinda weird, but I couldn't shake the familiarity of the name Mitsuru Kokonoe.

"Kokonoe… Can I ask which school you attend?" Confirming suspicions without trying to arouse suspicion myself.

"I'll be starting at NHP Academy soon! And just 'Mitsuru' is fine."

That's how I knew the name! I'm still researching, but I'm almost certain Mitsuru Kokonoe is the investigative journalist that managed to solve some pretty popular corruption cases. Kokonoe caught NHP's attention after solving a diamond heist at sea.

"Okay! You're that prodigy journalist, aren't you? The one that solved that diamond case on that cruise?" I asked.

"Oh! Yes, that's me! Although I can't take full credit, since most of it was solved by a young heiress I met there," Kokonoe answered modestly. Either way, just two amateurs solving a case in one night is pretty damn impressive.

"Still, that's pretty cool for two girls to do," I said. Kokonoe giggled.

"I'm a boy," he responded. Oops. I knew it was already too late to hide my embarrassment, but Kokonoe was nice enough to not acknowledge it.

"Besides," he continued, "I wouldn't put anything past any girl."

He has a point. I'm pretty sure most of what happened that led to the founding of NHP was because of a gyaru model…

"Anyway, we still don't know the situation here. I'm somewhat nervous, since I never leave home without my camera or a hat, but I haven't found either yet," he said. Come to think of it, I still don't know exactly how we got there in the first place.

I searched around the room one last time, not finding anything particularly new or interesting. That is, until, I happened upon a blue and white box under my bed. The clasp was in the shape of a cat, so I didn't expect to find a gun on the inside. Maybe something cutesy, like makeup or a set of charms, but I probably shouldn't have set any expectations to begin with.

I decided to take it with me. Anything could be lurking in this building, so it wouldn't be bad to be prepared just in case. I hid the gun in my jacket, for once being able to use the compartment hidden specifically for this purpose. Now that that's settled, we should probably leave here.

"Oy, Kokonoe-"

"UWAAH!" Oops. I must have accidentally startled him somehow. It's kinda nice to know he isn't as calm as he's letting on.

Kokonoe just giggled and stepped away from the broken television. He had a hat on his head now.

"Sorry," he apologized while lightly hitting the palm of his left hand against his forehead. "I forgot I wasn't alone for a second."

"Uh-huh," I nodded. That's not something one should forget so carelessly. I decided not to push the issue any further.

"So, wanna get out of this creepy hospital?" I asked, already knowing he'd give an emphatic nod. Cautiously, we both stepped outside of the room, having to adjust our eyes to the almost pitch black hallway. This didn't last long, as the old lights flickered on soon after we stepped out.

"Hey, where did you get that hat?" I asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Oh? Uh, it was behind the TV. It looks kinda similar to mine, but I have no idea why it would be here…"

Hm. Interesting coincidence. It didn't seem too significant, though.

I noticed a sign indicating directions to an elevator, a restroom, and a flight of stairs. Stubbornly, I went in the opposite direction. A sign so close to our room didn't look like anything but a trap.

"So, you thought that sign was kinda suspicious as well?" Kokonoe quickened his pace in an attempt to catch up with me.

"Yeah," I confirmed. Bringing so much attention to those led me to believe that there's a safer option on the opposite end of the hallway. It's not like hospitals would only have one set of stairs and elevators, anyway.

We opened the doors of each room we passed and called out to anyone that might hear us. No one else did.

"Aren't there any other people in this hospital?" Kokonoe asked me. Beats me. The pattern dictates that there should be, but we haven't encountered anyone else on this—

"Hi yo yuuuus~" a shrill voice called, causing me and my companion to become very visibly startled. We both turned to see an oddly dressed girl with green hair in an undercut and thick, red eyeglasses. She had a calm, closed-eyed grin on her face.

"You guys seem lost. I found an exit on the other end of the hallway, though," she proclaimed in a lilting voice.

"Uh… We think there might be a trap that way," Kokonoe explained. The girl tilted her head.

"Nah, there's no trap," she claimed confidently. Sure, that's convincing.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think any of us can afford to make assumptions here," I said before continuing down the hallway. Kokonoe didn't follow after me this time, though.

"How can you be so sure there's nothing that way?" He looked her right in the eyes and asked this.

"Oh? Because I just came from down there. I checked down the stairs already, so I wanted to make sure I'd be able to help anyone else down here~" She stated. But we left that way and didn't notice her at all until now.

"Okay, sorry, but I don't believe you," I said, pulling out the gun I had hidden and pointing it at the girl. Kokonoe looked startled, but I tried not to pay too much attention to him.

"Don't worry, I won't shoot you if you tell us the truth," I said. I really don't have time or energy for such an obvious trap. She didn't seem too fazed.

"Okay, first of all, where were you hiding until now? And why?" In case it wasn't obvious, I didn't trust this girl for a second. Even with a gun pointed at her, she didn't flinch once. She didn't even glance at the gun.

"I was asleep in a room on the opposite end of this floor, where you guys were just going. There's no exit that way, and no other people in any of the rooms," she said. "The only other people I saw on this floor were you two, about an hour ago."

"An easy enough answer," I nodded, still holding the gun.

"Uh, Muna," called Kokonoe. "I don't think she's lying. You should probably not be pointing a gun at her."

"Sorry, Kokonoe, but I don't want to take any chances," I said, not looking away from her. "Her story is too suspicious."

"Hmm," the girl hummed. "I think I'm being unfairly targeted here, especially since I'm the only one unarmed."

Only one? I turned to see Kokonoe with a gun in his hand pointed directly at me. The same make as mine.

"Sorry, Muna," he said, "but I don't want any innocent deaths. An intuitive sense is telling me that she's trustworthy. Also, that wasn't actually my hat."

"Not a very convincing thing to say when you're pointing a gun yourself," I said. The girl snorted.

"Anyway, don't worry about me~" the girl sang. "I'm the most trustworthy person I know~ Although, that's probably not very convincing either."

I sighed. What the hell is even happening anymore?

"Fine," I said. "I'll drop the gun on two conditions. Kokonoe, you drop yours. Girl, tell me where your watch is. In that order."

Hesitantly, Kokonoe set his gun down in front of him. I lowered mine, but kept it in my hand. The girl turned around.

"I think I know what you're talking about," she said as she lifted the thick-looking hoodie she was wearing. I noticed the black collar around her neck, but I didn't expect the watch's face to be on the back side of it.

"It seems like it stretches, but not enough for me to take it off," she added, the hoodie still around her arms. "I don't know when it was put on me."

I sighed again. I guess she was correct in saying that she wasn't armed at all. Her undershirt, skirt, and leggings were all too short and too thin to hide anything substantially dangerous.

"Fine," I said, sliding my gun across the hallway. Kokonoe decided to do the same thing once he saw what I did.

"Okay, so, can we go?" Kokonoe asked a bit nervously.

"Sure thing! I'll lead the way~" the girl sang as she readjusted her hoodie. She's probably trying to garner more trust by going ahead. Then again, I may just be overthinking this.

"So, we forgot to ask what your name was," said Kokonoe. The girl spun to face us.

"I'm Nishikata Bell~ Oop, I mean Bell Nishikata, hehe," the girl giggled. "You guys can just call me Bell! Or Nishibe! Or Tabell! I may not be super well-known, but soon I'll be starting at NHP Academy!"

Aaaaand there's the pattern. Three NHP students unconscious in a building around the same time?

"Oh? I was also invited to attend NHP," Kokonoe added excitedly. "I'm Mitsuru Kokonoe!"

"I know that name! You're a journalist, right? That seems so cool~" Nishikata chimed.

"In any case, I'm not finished with my questions," I interrupted. "Nishikata, how did you know we were in here?"

"I thought I explained that? But I looked in all the rooms and saw you guys sleeping," she said. "I didn't want to disturb you guys. A proper rest is important to living a proper life!"

"I don't think getting our 8 hours in would really have helped in this situation," I said.

"Still, I wonder why you were on the opposite end of the hall in a different room," Kokonoe pondered. Nishikata seemed to be thinking about the same thing.

"Maybe since I'm a girl?" What a stupid reason.

We approached the flight of stairs Nishikata claimed to have inspected.

"Hey, Nishikata," I began, "how did you come back to this floor without us seeing or hearing you?"

"Oh? I just took the elevator," she said. "I don't know how you didn't notice me, though. I heard you guys as I was coming back upstairs. It goes up, but it didn't let me go down. It was kinda odd~"

That is very odd. In fact, it oddly seems like something that would become a crucial detail in the future. Almost like it's a setup for a problem we'll need to solve. Geez, this place is becoming more suspicious by the minute.

Slowly, we each stepped single file down the stairs. We were on the third floor, so it wouldn't take long for us to get to the main floor. None of us wanted to take visits to the other floors. Nishikata claims she inspected them and didn't find anything that wasn't in ruins, which doesn't lend her any more credibility. Kokonoe seems to trust her, though, so if I end up in danger, at least I can take comfort in the fact that it's not my fault.

"Anyway, Nishibe, how did you get invited to NHP?" Kokonoe decided to ask as we approached the door to the first floor. A question that was arbitrary enough, considering she didn't look like the type to have a useful talent.

"Awah? Hm… It's probably because I'm a competitive eater!" As I expected. Although she wasn't exactly skinny, I would not have pegged her as a championship eater, honestly.

"Oh! I think I might have heard of you before," Kokonoe said as we walked through the lobby. "I read a story online about a girl that ate nearly 150 rice balls in 30 minutes! I thought it was a hoax."

"Nope! That was me~" Nishikata stated. "I only got to 148 before time ran out though. I was kinda sad, since I was going for a record, but I can always try again!"

Ugh.

We finally reached an exit. It didn't let us leave as easily as I expected, but again, it's my fault for setting expectations. The door was locked by an electronic security system, complete with a keypad and a pad just large enough for a slightly above-average-sized hand. This seems exactly like an escape game, but nothing here would indicate what we'd need to find out. Besides the fact that they were dirty, the walls and floors were bare. This place didn't even have a front desk.

"So, Nishikata," I began, "you wouldn't happen to know how we'd get out of here, would you?"

"Unnn… nope." Figures.

"To exit this checkpoint, you must insert a four-digit code." A soft yet robotic voice explained. "Although the code is the same for all three of you, you each must enter it once and place your hand on the pad before exiting. Should you fail to do so, you will not leave this checkpoint. Despite your differences, you all have one thing in common. Figure it out."

"Something we all have in common…" The most obvious thing is that we are all NHP students. But there isn't a four-digit code that directly connects to NHP…

"Oh! I got it," Nishikata exclaimed loudly. "Mittsun, when's your birthday?"

"Uh… August 31st," he stated. Nishikata's face immediately twisted into a frown.

"Aww. That's not the same as mine," she mumbled. Did she really expect all of us to have the same birthday?

"Uh… Maybe we were all born in the same year?" Kokonoe asked.

Unlikely. I've already been enrolled in high school, so that can't be it.

"Nope," I stated fla—

"To exit this checkpoint, you must enter a four-digit code," the soft robotic voice restated. It didn't have to continue its ultimatum before we realized that it was password-operated. Interesting.

We all waited for it to finish before we began our discussion.

"… Anyway, we need to think about what we all have in common. It's probably got nothing to do with when we were born," I said. Kokonoe didn't seem too convinced, but he didn't protest.

"Hmm… Nope." Nishikata stated for no reason.

"To exit this checkpoint..."

"Aha! It starts over every time!" Nishikata said over the detached voice. She seemed excited at a revelation that wasn't really noteworthy.

"Nope!"

"To exit this check—"

"Nope!"

"To exit this—"

"Nope!"

"To exi—"

"Nope!"

"To—"

"Nope!"

"T—"

"RAAAAAAAGH!" I yelled. "Nishikata, please help us figure this out instead of breaking our concentration."

"Hm…" Nishikata didn't seem too fazed by my outburst. She didn't even show a bit of remorse.

"Hey, you never introduced yourself to me," Nishikata said as she turned to face me. "Name and occupation, please."

I didn't think this was anything close to an appropriate time to mention this, but she had an uncharacteristically serious look in her eyes as she made the observation known. I didn't hesitate to comply, oddly enough.

"Shutaro Muna," I introduced myself with a hand outstretched. "I'm a student at New Hope's Peak Academy."

Nishikata nodded slowly as she took my hand. "Nice to meet you, Shutaro Muna. I know what the passcode is."

"Really? When did you figure it out, Nishibe?" Kokonoe inquired.

"Actually… I think it was around when Shutaro Muna said it didn't have to do with our birthdays," Nishikata stated. Why is she using my full name?

"Anyway, I'm not certain, but I'll try it out first," she sang. Kokonoe and I looked closely as she used her thumbs to input her guess. _0904._ The day New Hope's Peak Academy reopens for the new school year.

She gave a confused look to her hands, as if she were deciding which one to use. What a weirdo. In the end, she placed her left hand on the larger pad.

It didn't open. No lights, no sounds, no sign of confirmation. She was just as bothered by this as me. What else would we have in common? She inspected the pad closely before it gave some sort of response.

"Bell Nishikata. Gifted Competitive Eater. Exit." Taken aback by the robotic voice, Nishikata nervously looked at the both of us, then walked through the now opened sliding door.

"You guys know what to do, right?" Nishikata asked as if we weren't scrutinizing her closely as she typed in the code.

"Yes! Thank you, Nishibe!" Kokonoe said before the door closed. He turned to look at me.

"Rock paper scissors?" Kokonoe asked half-jokingly.

"Heh, you can just go ahead. It's not like something bad's gonna happen to the last person out." I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. Kokonoe gave a nervous half-smile and a small "hah," then typed in the code. He placed his hand on the pad, "Mitsuru Kokonoe. Gifted Investigative Journalist. Exit," and the door immediately opened. He gave me a smile and a thumbs up before walking out. Cute.

"My turn," I exhaled when the door closed. My fingers shook as I typed in the numbers. 0904. It didn't stop trembling when I touched the pad, either. Weird.

"Shutaro Muna. Future Foundation Trainee. Exit."

I was never so relieved to feel the rush of air that comes with an opening automatic door. A few more steps would prove that relief short-lived.

* * *

 **Geez, that Shutaro guy is a bit of an ass XD**

 **Hello~**

 **If you read far enough to see this note, thank you!**

 **This story ties in with another story that I wrote for this series, and while I'm not exactly proud of that story, before it was finished, I wound up coming up with new OCs and a different setting that I wanted to put in a different story lol. I'd feel bad if I didn't use them .**

 **There may be an SYOC component to this story, so look out for that! However, it will be highly selective, since I'm not sure how many spots I want to leave free. There will be more than 16 characters, so there's a decent chance they'll get in. Please don't post about that until I get full details out though.**

 **One last thing! There is no set update schedule for this. After everyone is introduced, I'm not sure when this will update. I hope the format that I'm planning for this will be at least a bit interesting. But it will be finished, even if it takes years. I hope you'll keep up with the story if you decide at some point that you like it :D**


	2. 1-2:City Hall

Nishikata and Kokonoe both smiled eagerly as I exited the hospital. Not sure why, as the scene I encountered was that of utter devastation. It looks like ruins of a modern city? There were still roads and buildings within sight, but most seemed to have been violently destroyed or eroded away. It looked as if it were very easy to trip over debris here, and… is that a doll pinned to a light post? It appeared to have been crucified… Gross.

"You know you didn't need to wait for me," I said, turning my attention away from the creepy doll, and fully expecting a cheerful, cheesy response from Nishikata.

"We didn't want to go any further without you!" Nishikata cheered, as expected.

"Also, I think there's something we should discuss further," Kokonoe stated as he strode forward, looking back to make sure we were following him. "I doubt we're the only three people here, but why were we placed together in the hospital? Do either of you have any ideas?"

"None," I responded. Nishikata nodded her "no" as well.

"Hmmmm…. Maybe we've been placed in teams?" Nishikata said.

"Please don't normalize this as some sort of game," I said. "We're in a very suspicious situation."

"True," Kokonoe agreed. "But we don't know exactly what kind of situation just yet. It might just be a game. Likely one no one wants to play."

"Hmmm…. We should probably find more people before deciding what to determine," Nishikata stated. I agree. It'll be easier to solve a problem with more people to toss around ideas.

We walked on and managed to find a map. "YOU ARE HERE" was written in bold lettering on a road between the hospital and the city hall. An arrow went along the same road, letting us know that we were on the way to city hall. Along with the words "GO HERE" written on the space where city hall is.

"… Okay, so we should probably turn the other way," I stated. I began to walk the other way when Nishikata and Kokonoe grabbed both my arms.

"No, Munataro!" Nishikata yelled. Is that supposed to be me?

"Muna," Kokonoe said. "We need to make sure there's no one else at city hall first."

"Why should we go to some obvious trap before we even figure out where we are? If anything, we need to find a way out of here," I argued. Nishikata's grip lightened, giving me an opening to snatch my wrist away from her. Kokonoe reluctantly let me go after that.

"You have a point," Kokonoe muttered. He didn't seem to want to go with me though. I walked away from the two, and they walked toward city hall without protest. I only hope they come to their senses and—

… Is my watch blinking? I looked at the scrolling writing of the watch's screen. "Shutaro Muna. Go to city hall."

Obviously, I'm going to ignore that and—

"AAAARGH!" I yelled as I doubled over, grabbing my right wrist. A shocking pain shot through my arm before it went completely numb.

"What? AARGH! Damn it!" I yelled, analyzing the watch. A new message scrolled through. "You will regain feeling in your arm soon if you go to city hall. If not, the next shock will be much stronger."

I can't believe I'm being threatened by a watch. Before I knew it, I was back on my feet, over the shoulders of Nishikata and Kokonoe.

"Uurgh," I gurgled eloquently. Not sure why, but that shock really made me want to throw up.

"Shhh," Nishikata said. "We'll explore with you later, but now we should go to city hall."

"Why…" I trailed off. They had no reason to come back to get me.

"The watches warned us," Kokonoe stated.

"Plus, we kinda heard your blood-curdling shriek," Nishikata added. Eh. I'll thank them when I'm no longer in pain.

After a few minutes of walking, I noticed the roads becoming less destroyed, and the buildings looked cleaner. Just what is going on here?

"Looks like we're almost at city hall," Kokonoe muttered. Looks like it. I could see another group of three kids cautiously entering the building, which was significantly neater than its surroundings. The first two didn't stand out too much, but it looked like the third one was wearing a black suit and some sort of mask obscuring his entire face. I know NHP attracts a lot of weirdos, but this guy gave off a very creepy air.

"Hey! Wait!" Nishikata shouted at the group of three, but they were already in the building. It didn't make much of a difference, as we were already close enough to see that there wasn't any sort of keypad at the entrance.

"No keypad," I murmured, garnering concerned looks from Nishikata and Kokonoe.

"I'm fine," I confirmed. I wasn't fine, but I didn't want to have them carry me up the stairs of the building. I could still walk well enough on my own.

The three of us continued up the stairs and through the fancy columns of the façade. No one followed behind us, and no one seemed to be near the entrance once we opened it. I guess they went to the atrium, since there was a banner saying "go to the atrium."

"Oh? Here comes another group," said a boy wearing a priest's collar. He didn't have a face that stood out, but upon further inspection, I noticed the uniform he wore had an ornate cape attached at the shoulders. It looked like a strange mix of priest's garb and a typical gakuran uniform.

"Yeah, it showed them on one of the screens," said a muscular blonde girl in an outfit that exposed her toned stomach and legs. Her shirt said "DAGGERS" on it. Weird.

"Unfortunately, they seem just as clueless as the rest of us," the blonde muscular girl continued. I didn't disagree, but I don't like her tone.

"Oh! I recognize this group. Didn't one of them fall over? Is he okay?" This question came from a girl with large green eyes and wavy, strawberry blonde hair that seemed to reach her waist. If I didn't remember hearing about her entrance into NHP, I would have assumed she was a misplaced elementary or middle schooler.

"He's walking, so he looks fine to me," said a tanned girl with coppery orange hair. "If not, I can probably find a way to help him out!" She said this with a sincere smile. I recognize her, since her talent really stood out to me.

"You're Nadia Nagai," I said. "You're a bounty hunter."

She looked surprised for a second, but began to smile again. "Yep! I must not be a very good one if a civilian recognizes me, heh."

"Huh? You know her name?" The priest boy asked. "How?"

"Uh…" Crap! I don't know how I should answer this.

"Don't worry," said a boy in a purple uniform. This one has short grey hair and glasses with plastic blue frames. "He's not the one that's behind this."

Huh? Why would this kid have any idea who might be behind any of this?

" 'How does this guy know who might or might not be behind this?' Is probably what you all are wondering. Don't worry, I don't know either," the boy said with a smile. "But I have a good feeling about this one. Brittany, he's not the one that changed your clothes."

The blonde muscular girl blushed. "Don't bring that up again! It's embarrassing to think about," she responded. So she didn't wear that strange outfit of her own volition?

"It's her cheerleading uniform." Grey-haired boy again.

"Oh! That makes sense," Nishikata exclaimed. Kokonoe stared at the guy who seems to know exactly what we're thinking.

"Anyway… Brittany? How did you know someone changed your outfit?" Kokonoe asked the cheerleader.

"I only ever wear this when my team has a match, and I haven't had to wear it since I left the US," she answered. "I'd have no reason to. But… ugh."

"Sorry," Kokonoe apologized.

"Hey! Another team made it out of their building," said Nagai. The guy with the mask watched the screen she pointed at very intently. This team seemed to consist of a black-haired girl with wire-rimmed glasses, a purple-haired girl wearing an ornate kimono, and a black man with very big and curly hair. They immediately found a map and followed it to city hall. The girl with the glasses picked up a doll she found on a light post, similar to the one I saw earlier.

"So… should we hold off on introductions until everyone else gets here? Or should we start now?" Kokonoe asked.

"I think we should be polite and wait for everyone else to get here," Nishikata said. The priest and the masked man nodded in agreement.

"Nice, but that's not a good idea," the grey-haired boy chimed in. "Isn't it best to let everyone know who we are now, before we need to know what to be dishonest about?"

"What is there to be dishonest about?" The priest asked this.

"I guess he's saying we don't know yet?" Nagai added. "Still, we should probably start to figure out who everyone is."

"I agree," said the cheerleader. "I don't have too much to hide, and I think most of you already know my name. I'm Brittany Baker, and I'm a competition cheerleader. I came here to attend school at New Hope's Peak Academy."

Brittany Baker. A cheerleader with the stern look of a drill sergeant. I'd hate to be on her team.

"Nice to meet you, Brittany," Nishikata sang. "I'm also an intense competitor, in a sense, hehe. My name is Bell Nishikata, and I'm a competitive eater! I'm also enrolled at NHP!"

"Nice to meet you," Brittany nodded. She didn't look like she believed that.

"Okay! It looks like we're all future NHP students?" Konokoe asked, though it seemed more like he was confirming an idea. "Everyone in my group was, too. Speaking of which, who were you all grouped with?"

"I came here with Nadia and Brittany," said the priest. "If that's important, then I'm glad to have two strong group members, haha!"

"I don't believe in letting slackers off easy," Brittany said.

"Oh, where are my manners," said the priest, barely paying attention to what Brittany said. "My name is Feliciano Inaba, and I'm gifted in Catholic studies. I'm even on my way to becoming a pope in the future."

Uh… Doesn't he think he's a bit young to be a pope?

"I know I seem young, but I've done nothing but eat, sleep, and study the word of the Lord my entire life. I'm already blessed enough to be revered by many influential members of the faith already," Inaba rambled.

"Interesting," the grey-haired boy nodded. It's not particularly interesting in my opinion, but maybe he could use that information. A pause.

"… What about you?" The childish, wavy-haired girl asked this, and the grey-haired boy laughed in response.

"I'm not ready yet," he replied. He's becoming the very character he suspected.

"Uh… Okay." The girl took in a deep breath and proceeded to make her introduction. "My name is Koneko Kawai. I'm entering NHP as a gifted veterinarian, though I haven't practiced as much as I'd like to." Her voice went quieter and quieter the more she spoke.

"Pleased to meet you, Kawai," Kokonoe said with a smile. Kawai smiled back, seeming to be more at ease at the sight of his reassurance.

"Hehe, how cute," Nagai said. "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanna make sure I haven't been forgotten. Nadia Nagai, gifted bounty hunter, at your service." With this, Nagai bowed.

"I probably could have gone first, considering how I was outed earlier," she giggled while glancing at me. I can't tell if she was annoyed, but I already know I don't want to cross her.

"… I guess I'll go next?" I decided to begin my introduction. "I'm Shutaro Muna, an NHP student. Sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to give a more interesting introduction."

"I don't really think standing out is a feasible goal in this situation," said Kokonoe. "But at the risk of doing so, here I go! I'm Mitsuru Kokonoe, and I'm a gifted investigative journalist—or, I am according to the letter I received."

"Oh! I know about you," said Nagai. "You and another kid solved that diamond heist a while back, right?"

"Heh, so many people seem to know about that," Kokonoe blushed.

"Oh," Nagai said. "I'm not sure that it's particularly common knowledge, but a thief I was researching was accused of being the culprit, so I came across that information by accident."

"That reminds me," Inaba interjected. "You're a bounty hunter, correct?"

"Yeah?" Nagai seemed confused. "Oh, if you're wondering, I'm not a killer or anything. I always bring in my targets alive!"

"Oh! A pacifistic bounty hunter? That's interesting," the grey-haired boy said. Does this guy know any other words?

"So, who's next?" We all either turned our attention to the masked suit wearer or the grey-haired boy. More attention turned to the mask, however.

The masked man cleared his throat and spoke. "Puppeteer," he said in what had to be the lowest possible audible octave. Is that it? He's not even gonna share his name?

"… Anything else you want to add?" Inaba asked this with an obviously impatient smile. The puppeteer shrugged.

"Leave him be," said the person left to give an introduction at the moment. "Withholding information is only going to work to his disadvantage in the future, but in the end, that should be his choice." That sounded very vaguely like a threat,

"Anyway, I've collected enough information at this point," the boy sighed. "I'm Izumi Yuuki. I'm interested in making peace with as many of you as possible, since you won't be able to hide anything from me anyway. I've entered NHP as a gifted mind reader."

* * *

 **Woo! Chapter one, part two! And it only took me six months to get back to this lol. Anyway! If ya want, you can submit your OC to this story! There are six spots available, and I can guarantee that they will all survive for the first two cases (any cases beyond that are still up in the air). If you want to submit an OC, just message me letting me know any information you think is important to their character. I'll let you know if they'll be in the story~**

 **I don't really have any requirements, but there's an OC out there with technical savvy (whether it's related to their talent or not), they're especially welcome at this point lol. I won't accept any OCs that are submitted through reviews. If you have any questions, just message me~**


	3. 1-3:Denial

"… Just kidding~ Mind readers don't exist, you sillies!"

Yuuki's fake revelation was really convincing, however. There was a tense feeling in the atmosphere shortly before his confession. Yuuki, however, just laughed.

"I can tell some of you really believed me," Yuuki mused. "Especially… you—" he pointed at the mask—"you—" he pointed at Inaba—"you," nodding at Kawai— "aaaaaaaaaaaand… You!" He acknowledged me last. He could be bluffing, but I'd be impressed if he could tell anything about what the mask was thinking. His expression was obscured by his mask completely, and he only ever exited his stiff pose once Yuuki called him out. On another note, I hope I didn't give myself away too much. Yuuki was having fun with this.

"Haaah? Why would you guys believe such a ridiculous statement so readily?" Yuuki teased us with a smile that conveyed a weird mix of smugness and wonder. "What have you all got to hide that could be threatened by a mind reader?"

"N-n-no-nu-nothing! Hehe," Kawai laughed nervously. She was the only one I could tell had an obvious reaction. Inaba smiled the same way he's been smiling, but a barely noticeable twitch of his brow gave away his uncertainty. The masked man returned to his normal stature, and I tried to calm my pulse down a bit more.

"Hey!" Nagai called this out. "Stop teasing her! Suspicious or not, everyone's got something to hide."

"Hmmm? Sorry, sorry," Yuuki smirked. "Not trying to scare anyone! Just messing around. You know how teenage boys are~"

"Hmph," Nagai huffed. Before anyone else could continue, a new group has arrived. This wasn't the trio we saw exit earlier, though.

"Arriving at the scene, trails ablaze, lasers at the ready!" A somewhat shaggy man boomed upon seeing everyone. Brittany smiled when she heard this voice.

"Protector of Earth, robotic lover of justice!" Brittany continued this speech. The shaggy man smiled back and continued on with Brittany joining in.

"Terra Defender RABUMON!" They both continued excitedly. Brittany clapped and ran to the man with the booming voice.

"Aaaah! I used to love Terra Defender Rabumon!" She squealed. "You delivered his speech perfectly!"

"Thank you, thank you," the man smiled shyly. "That's nice to hear, since I'll be voicing him in the upcoming reboot." He turned to address the rest of us, clearing his throat.

"Noah Cornett, current professional male voice actor, future New Hope's Peak student," he said with a wave. "It's nice to meet you all."

Noah Cornett, huh? I know he gets a lot of anime dubbing jobs in the states from what I've heard. Apparently, he has a preference for voicing children's shows. Brittany was clearly the most excited about his revelation.

"Aaaah! It's an honor to meet you," she squealed. Her excitement about Noah combined with his commanding introduction almost made the rest of us forget that he did not come alone.

"Such an amusing introduction," said a lanky kid with flaxen hair that grew darker along its length. Besides the ink-stained brushes on his belt, this was the only unique style choice about him, as he wore a rather plain ensemble. He wasn't as commanding as our previous new guest, but his voice was firm enough to at least catch the attention of a few of us. He noticed this and decided to roll with it.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Kakeru Isshin. As my name might suggest, I like to place my devotion to my writing whenever possible, as I've been told that I'm a gifted calligrapher." Once he finished his introduction, he went to us all individually and extended his hand to shake. This guy is too formal, considering he's among peers. To my knowledge, I've never seen any of Isshin's work, but apparently it exudes a wild beauty that is initially masked by clean yet expressive line work. A friend of mine is a big fan, so she would keep telling me ways I could recognize different calligraphers.

Speaking of which, what happened to her?

"Hello?"

Huh? The calligrapher was standing in front of me, offering his right hand and unintentionally snapping me out of my thoughts. I shook it without looking him in the eye, noting that his watch was on this wrist.

"Your name, sir?"

Oh. "Sorry. I'm Shutaro Muna, an NHP student," I complied immediately. Isshin grinned.

"Very nice to meet you, Shutaro Muna," he said as he let go of my hand. He then went to greet Kokonoe, whose watch temporarily blinded me when it glinted in the light. Isshin might have the right idea. I should probably speak to these guys individually, but I really don't like repetition like this. I turned to find a better view of the monitors and managed to bump into an unfamiliar person in the process.

"Sorry," I muttered, even though I was convinced that it was her own fault. She didn't seem to accept my apology, but instead glared at me through her slightly unkempt hair. On her right wrist was a birthmark and the instantly recognizable black watch, and on her left wrist was a cute silver charm bracelet. It was only then that I had noticed a pencil and small sketchpad in her hands. Maybe I bumped into her when she was writing.

"Kaguya Shinoko," she said in a calm, almost monotone voice. "I'm a gifted sketch artist… No need to introduce yourself, Shutaro Muna…" With that, she walked away, staying some distance behind Isshin. I guess she's following him to hear everyone's names and talents? But if she's going to introduce herself in the end, then I'm not sure what she's hoping to achieve.

Within minutes, a group of six people made it to the atrium. Among this six were the three I saw on the monitors earlier. The mousy girl still held the creepy doll she found in her arms as if it were a cherished child. The curly-haired black man (who, upon closer inspection, seemed to be wearing thin wire-rimmed glasses and a lightweight green shirt) followed after her, grabbing his watch in his free hand the same way I did earlier. The refined furisode-clad girl checked on him as he walked, also maintaining an air of grace while helping him.

"Hmmm? What have we here?" A plainly dressed blonde man bedecked in jewelry that did not fit his clothing sense caught my attention. "After spending some time with two rather unappealing guys, I've already had the good fortune of encountering two buxom beauties!" He said this while glancing between both Shinoko and Brittany, both of whom gave him much deserved disgusted looks. How shameless could this guy be?

"I don't think 'unappealing' is a particularly fair descriptor," a dark-haired man who has a very valid point chimed in. He had quite a handsome face and striking green eyes. I couldn't really guess what exactly his talent could be, but I recognized his uniform as belonging to one of the most elite schools in the country, so he was probably an impressive prospect to the NHP scouting board. If he's a new student, I wonder why I didn't recognize him…

"Eh. Not really something to worry about," a tan guy with messy black hair and grey eyes droned. He didn't seem like he really wanted to add anything else, instead choosing to survey what other kinds of people there were here. I noticed the location of his watch, which was previously hidden underneath an amber hoodie, when he craned his neck slightly. So, his is in the same place as Nishikata's, huh?

"Hunya? More people~" Speak of the devil. Nishikata made her way to this new large group, speaking first to the one who also had a watch on his neck. On the other hand, he didn't seem to have much of an interest in her.

"Wait a second," Kokonoe yelled. "Do you guys want to finish doing introductions?"

"Eh," Yuuki said. "It doesn't look like there are many who want to do intros in front of a big group, so we probably should continue like this." Yuuki looked in the direction of the girl toting the doll, who sighed in relief. But should we really continue in disorganization just to make a few people comfortable? I'm really not understanding this guy.

"There's also one last group on its way," Isshin stated, motioning to one monitor. Like the large group from earlier, this group seemed to be comprised of six people that woke up in two different locations. Most of them seemed to be girls.

"So… Does anyone actually know why we're here?" The girl in the kimono asked this in an even voice, still holding on to the curly-haired man.

"Maybe this is some sort of class trip? We're all NHP students." This came from Nagai, who was now leaning against a podium near the largest monitor, which was blank. Kokonoe nodded, but it didn't quite seem like he agreed with her statement.

"Well, maybe we'll finally understand soon. The last few people are almost here," Yuuki added. He was right, except… Three of them seemed to be missing?

"Yay! More people, finally." In came a flashy looking girl with just as much jewelry as the blonde pervert from earlier. Somehow, it seemed to make more sense on her. The aforementioned pervert looked at her as if he had just won the lottery.

"So loud." A serious-looking guy with snowy white hair stated, following behind the loud girl. Like the elite guy from earlier, he also had pretty green eyes, but otherwise his face didn't convey or command interest.

The person that came in behind him was nothing short of beautiful, though she seemed just as irritated as many of the other people here. Her poise was enough to even make me jealous. She tucked a strand of caramel-colored hair behind her left ear (revealing her watch to be on her left wrist), then surveyed the room.

"Yu, what happened to those other girls? That one calling herself a psychic isn't here yet," the beauty asked the white-haired boy in an accented voice. The boy just gave a disinterested shrug. The bejeweled girl chimed in.

"Ohohoho! _She_ was certainly interesting," she added.

"A psychic? She's obviously lying," Izumi stated just loud enough for anyone listening to hear him. A lot of voices were drowned by the chattering mix of intrigue, calm, and panic coming from the students.

"That's hilarious coming from you," said Inaba, the priest.

"It looks like they're almost here," Kawai noted, pointing to the monitor with a view of the doors to city hall. The one that manages to stand out even in an unfocused camera made strange motions toward the door. Shortly afterward, we all could hear it fly open, and the chattering died down.

"Kyahahahaha! What have we here? A gathering of sorts?" The standout yelled her question. She placed her hand in her silvery pink hair and smiled. Is this kid wearing an eyepatch? The two girls with her groaned and stepped inside the atrium.

"I think we're the last ones," a girl with a quiet voice said this. She didn't seem particularly shy, but she probably doesn't speak much. Upon closer inspection, I could see that she had one light colored eye and one darkly colored eye, but I can't make out exactly what colors they are at this distance.

"Please stop yelling," a girl who seemed to wear nothing but an oversized hoodie and a hair ribbon pleaded. The eyepatched girl looked confused.

"What was that?" She yelled this, breaking character ever so slightly. She didn't get to hear the statement from the girl with the hoodie, as all our watches started blinking. As expected, panic ensued.

"AAAAAAAARGH!" A jumbled mix of screams and yells filled the atrium, reverberating throughout the place. Only a few kids seemed calm before the banging of a gavel mixed into the echoes.

"Everyone? Everyone? May I have your attention?" A cool, almost robotic voice followed the gavel sounds, and most of us turned to the source, which seemed to be the podium Nagai was leaning on. She soon turned and moved away from it.

"That wasn't me," Nagai confirmed, though it was pretty obvious she didn't say it. As she stepped further away, our attention then went to the ball-jointed doll that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Oddly enough, this doll seemed to have a two-toned theme to it, as one side of its hair and frilly clothing was white, and the other was a light purple color. It settled behind the podium (obviously standing on something, considering how small it was relative to the stand), and seemed to look at us.

"Hello, hello, my beautiful, gifted citizens!" As suspected, the doll is the owner of the cool voice. I think it's safe to say that no one was prepared to believe this.

"So, so, you're probably wondering why you're all here," the doll mused. No shit.

"Well, well, no interruptions? I'm impressed," said the doll. "I guess it shows how much you all respect authority~" Authority?

"Wait, I have questions, if I may ask them," the handsome guy interrupted. I guess the doll spoke too soon.

"Yes, yes, Murakami?" Whoa, wait. Is there a reason this doll knows his name? The guy I'm now assuming to be Murakami looked distraught. He likely wasn't expecting her to know his name, either.

"What authority do you have?" He asked this, but it was obvious he wasn't too interested in questioning her further.

"I'm glad you asked," the doll began. "Put simply, I am your governor. I'm here as an overseer, but I'm only a regent at this point. You elites of the world are tasked with rebuilding society from the ground up."

"Uhm? Rebuilding?" This came from the girl holding the ball-jointed doll. Is that the same make as our "governor"?

"Huhu, I'll clarify that soon, my gifted dollmaker," the doll answered. Many of the other students turned to her, likely wondering the same thing. Once she realized how many stares she attracted, she shied away.

"Now, now, save assumptions for later, my elite children!" The doll banged a gavel again. "You all are here to help a few elite members of NHP conduct an experiment. They want to research teamwork and cooperation when put under pressure. Unfortunately, your class will not attend school, but you'll help with this experiment until the day you die."

"AKYA! Until we die?!" The girl with the eyepatch stated. "If that's the case, Psychic Lisako has to be the last to die!"

"Let's not assume we're gonna die, please," said Isshin. The doll laughed.

"I'm asking you not to assume anything," the doll continued. "Of course, of course, you all are the ones to decide when your death comes here. You see, murder is a sign of a primitive mind, and is a burden society must carry. However, for the purpose of further studies, murder is allowed here."

"Okay, time out," said Noah. "We can't just kill people!"

"Right!" Brittany chimed in. "You're just gonna let us kill each other?"

"Of course not," the doll answered. "Killers must be dealt with in a proper society! Which is why anyone who kills must be found out, and so you all will conduct a trial to find your culprit." God damn it. I know exactly where this is going.

"Unfortunately, a society fails once it lets its crime go improperly punished, which only benefits the criminal. This is why, should a criminal successfully commit a crime, all other members of this society will be punished, and the experiment will end. At that point, only the killer can go free," the doll explained, causing more panic among the students. Okay, I just need to stay calm and find a few more rational thinkers so that we can find a way out. This isn't going to end in our defeat.

"Okay, time out," Yuuki finally decided to join this conversation. "I find it hard to believe NHP is actually sanctioning this."

"Seconded," said the man with the curly hair. I can't exactly place what kind of accent he had. "This situation… isn't what was outlined for us when I accepted my invitation, and I doubt… anyone here would agree to such." I guess he's still in some pain, considering how much he's pausing.

"He's correct," said the pervert. "I didn't leave England for this!"

More dissenting voices rose, and the doll banged a gavel again.

"Hey, hey! You guys aren't letting me finish," the doll wailed. "You're hurting my feelings."

"Dolls shouldn't have sentience, so you're making a pretty unbelievable statement," said the grey-eyed guy.

"I'm not just a doll! I'm your governor, Monohime! _Your_ _governor!_ " Mono?

"Monohime?" The girl with the kimono asked this.

"Tch. An ugly name for an ugly doll," the girl in the hoodie grumbled.

"Anyway, this meeting will be adjourned soon. We will convene again in a few hours, after you all have had time to explore your new home," the doll sighed in irritation. "Please refrain from uses of violence, as I want you all to be present. Be sure to get to know your fellow residents."

"Wait a second, Monohime," I raised my hand, realizing that I haven't spoken much since new people started arriving.

"Yes yes, darling?" Monohime asked. Everyone's attention seems to be on me. I cleared my throat.

"Why did you have us separated into groups?" I don't remember this type of situation including teams like this. Some things still didn't make sense to me. Monohime laughed.

"Huhu, Muna, Muna," she trilled. "Good question. I'll let you all know later. In the meantime, don't forget who you were with, and don't forget when you got here. Not that I don't already know, huhu!"

Soon, Monohime disappeared from sight. Literally, she vanished in a plume of smoke. Somehow that was still the most believable thing about this entire situation.

"So, I think we all know who's really behind this," said the pretty girl, looking in the direction of the dollmaker. She cowered away, and Nagai and the masked man shielded her.

"Chill out," Nagai commanded. "We can't go around making hasty accusations! Someone could get hurt that way."

"Agreed," said Yuuki. "But I wonder… Why would the mastermind be here? Don't we already know the culprits are members of some NHP research committee?" He didn't even look like he believed that, especially considering what he said earlier. Still, the beauty didn't rebut. The dollmaker smiled at the people coming to her defense.

"Thank you," she choked out, her voice a quiet, raspy whine. "I promise, I know close to nothing!"

"Likely story," Shinoko whispered.

"As likely as anything," Kokonoe added. "Please, let's not start right now. It's obvious that violence is what the doll wants."

"But," the white-haired man began. "What if the mastermind is here? Then what happens if they're killed?"

Another good question.

"No, no, nonononono," Brittany disagreed. "We are not resorting to killing anyone. We are not going to go around accusing people. As far as we know, the culprits are at NHP. We just need to get out of here and get to them."

"But we already know that to be untrue," Isshin stated. "No one at NHP would conduct this experiment."

"We don't know anything~" Nishikata shrugged. "None of us have been to NHP yet." Well…

"We don't know that either!" The heterochromia girl stated. "One of us could be an operative planted here by NHP!"

"Then, it's gotta be the one with the NHP symbol on his jacket!" The flashy girl said this. Who would have an NHP symbol on their ja— _SHIT SHE MEANS ME._

Damn it! Everyone's glaring at me now. Well, except for Nishikata and Kokonoe.

"Is that an NHP symbol?"

"It was in the letter's stationery, wasn't it?"

"It could just be a lookalike."

"Enough!" Nishikata yelled. "Munataro woke up in the same position as me and Mittsun, so he can't know what's going on."

"Nishibe's right," Kokonoe agreed. "NHP also gave a lot of us the option of picking up uniforms early, so he most likely just took it." The others didn't seem to disagree with this. Calmer chatter ensued.

"Anyway, we're not doing any witch hunts," Yuuki announced. "If we're going to figure out what's really going on, we need to stay calm." I agree completely.

"Then… Maybe we should go investigate further?" The dollmaker rasped this. From some of the looks she received, she didn't seem to be completely free of suspicion.

"Well, that's at least what I'm planning to do," Inaba stated. "I'll welcome anyone that would like to join me!"

A few kids walked in his direction. A lot of them seemed to be members of the same groups. Soon his group left, and a lot of people went about their way individually or with their small teams. After a while, my group and Yuuki were the only ones left.

"That was a nice bluff, Mr. Investigative Journalist," Yuuki said to Kokonoe. Wait.

"How did you know?" Kokonoe asked, to which Yuuki only gave an amused chuckle.

"Didn't I already tell you? I'm a mind reader," Yuuki responded. "And we don't know what the team situation is just yet, so it could work to your disadvantage to have to isolate one of your members."

"Huh… I guess you're not wrong there," Kokonoe conceded. "But I trust Muna, and I don't think he has anything to do with this."

"Already so convinced of his innocence? Could this be love at first sight?" Yuuki teased.

"Wait! Didn't you already say yourself that he was innocent?" Nishikata questioned. Yuuki whistled.

"Smart girl," Yuuki said. At least half of that statement is true.

"But yes, Mr. Muna isn't the one behind this," Yuuki admitted. Honestly, if I were hearing this from him about anyone else, I wouldn't believe it.

"There's really no way to know who's behind this, though," I said.

"Oh, yes there is. I've already confirmed that the mastermind is one of us," Yuuki contested. "In fact, I think I know exactly who it is."

"Hoo, whoa, hold on," Kokonoe stammered. " _How_ could you possibly know that?"

"Oh? Pure coincidence," Yuuki stated. "Which is exactly why I'm not telling anyone. Can't give any unfair advantages, or allow for any targets on my back. Or even—God forbid—I actually have it wrong. Telling anyone my guess now is a terribad idea." Asshole.

"So, then, I'll be off. Try not to defy orders from your watch again, Mr. Muna," Yuuki called to me before leaving.

"Grrr! So rude," Nishikata huffed. I sighed. Well, there's no reason for us to stay here.

"Do you think we should look around in here?" I stand corrected. Kokonoe looked at the both of us.

"I don't see why not~" Nishibe—I mean, Nishikata sang. I just nodded.

"Be careful, you two," I said. I received two expected "you, too"s. Alright, it's time to get to work.

* * *

 **Here it is! The third part to introductions, which will continue for one more update! I'll leave this with you, and I hope you enjoy this update and your holidays! Feel free to let me know what you think~**


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